Look Up! (And Bundle Up): The Geminid Meteor Shower is Putting on a Show

Now playing overhead: The dramatic Geminid Meteor Shower, which many astronomers agree can be one of the most intense meteor showers of the year.

The Geminid Meteor Shower is forecast to peak late Friday/early Saturday, Dec. 13-14, about two hours before dawn, at your local time, in North America. If you can’t stay up that late, not to worry — astronomers tell us that some meteors should be visible as soon as darkness hits and as late as December 16.

Despite this year’s nearly full moon, NASA scientists, like Bill Cooke of the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office, still predict a good show, especially for those willing to rise before dawn. “The Geminid meteor shower is the most intense meteor shower of the year,” Cooke says. “It is rich in fireballs and can be seen from almost any point on Earth. Even a bright moon won’t completely spoil the show.”

Meteors occur when the Earth passes through streams of dust and debris from ancient comets which have entered the Earth’s atmosphere. (When the comet has flown close to the sun, its dirty ice evaporated and that, in turn, caused the comet dust to spew into space.) Scientists believe that the Geminids actually come from an asteroid, called 3200 Phaethon, which is really the skeleton of an extinct comet. The Earth passes through this particular debris stream each December, and is said to originate near the constellation Gemini.

How to watch the Geminid Meteor Shower

The Geminids should be visible with the naked eye in North America and perhaps in other parts of the world. Sky watchers in cold climates should bundle up, grab a chair (ideally one with some neck support), and perhaps a blanket, head outside where you can see the largest patch of night sky possible (with as little city light as possible), and look up.

Because meteor showers last for days before and after the projected peak, be sure to scan the skies during the surrounding days, if you can. This time of year, clouds can obscure the Geminids on the peak day, as can the moon, which will be nearly full.

Hi Weekend Cowgirl! It’s always great to see you. It was indeed a cloudy and chilly weekend. And we had the full moon. I did see one spectacular meteor streak across the sky. Hope all is well in your world.